Eurostar appoints new culinary director

Eurostar has proudly announced the appointment of world renowned Michelin starred chef, Raymond Blanc as its Culinary Director. The exciting new gastronomic partnership will see Raymond share his passion for promoting the very best in sustainable and seasonal food with Eurostar’s Business Premier passengers.

The announcement is supported by new research* which reveals that despite the prevailing economic downturn, nearly two thirds (63%) of business travellers have either maintained or even increased their level of business travel in the past 12 months.

While it's good news that the wheels of British business are still turning, it appears it's not such good news for business travellers themselves. The research also highlighted that over a third (34%) rated the quality of the meals they were served when travelling for business as below average.

When questioned further, these same travellers stressed the importance of good food and service on-board alongside more traditional considerations such as price and journey time. Two thirds (66%) highlighted the importance of eating sustainably sourced, seasonal and organic food, while over a third (35%) revealed that presentation of food was an important factor.

With these considerations in mind, Raymond Blanc is collaborating closely with Eurostar's catering suppliers to help transform travellers' perceptions of on-board catering. As a result of his on-going direction and work with Eurostar's suppliers in Belgium, the UK and France, his new and exclusive Business Premier menus have been created to be innovative, seasonal and sustainable and feature several Blanc family recipes such as mackerel salad and chocolate delice with praline custard.

Raymond’s creative input has seen a renewed focus on locally sourced and sustainably produced ingredients of a local provenance. The resulting menus combine rustic, traditional dishes with a fresh, modern element of surprise.

Commenting on his appointment, Raymond Blanc said: "As a chef, I'm always searching for the purest ingredients, striving to ensure that everything I use is traceable and responsibly sourced. I'm delighted to work with Eurostar which shares these same values and was the first transport provider to join the Sustainable Restaurant Association. Together we're working to change the perception of on-board cuisine and serving sustainable and locally sourced food which is at the heart of our new Business Premier menus."

The YouGov research also uncovered some of the 'guilty pleasures' business travellers enjoy whilst travelling on business. These include snoozing on company time, using their headphones to drown out fellow passengers and getting stuck into complimentary magazines that they would never normally buy.

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Notes to Editors:
*Online survey by YouGov based on sample of over 1,000 business travellers aged 18 and above living in the UK. Fieldwork: 11 October - 15 October 2012

About Eurostar:
Eurostar is the high-speed train service offering travellers from St Pancras International, Ebbsfleet International and Ashford International a convenient way of getting to the Alps, enjoying Disneyland Paris, Amsterdam city breaks and Lille city breaks.

Eurostar was established in 1994 as a partnership between three railway companies: SNCF, SNCB and LCR (London and Continental Railways). On 1 September 2010, Eurostar became a single, unified corporate entity owned by three shareholders: SNCF, SNCB and LCR.

The current Eurostar train was first introduced into service in 1994 carrying 750 passengers and operating at speeds of up to 300kph. Since then, the fleet of 28 trains has carried more than 115 million passengers between London and the Continent. Following their refurbishment these trains will continue to form a core part of the Eurostar fleet.

Eurostar and Eurotunnel are entirely separate companies. Eurostar operates high-speed passenger trains, while Eurotunnel operates vehicle shuttle services and the Channel Tunnel itself. Eurostar is Eurotunnel’s biggest customer.

PR Contact:
Aude Criqui
Senior Press Officer
Eurostar Press Office
Times House
Regent Quarter
Bravingtons Walk
London
N1 9AW
020 7843 5500
www.eurostar.com